attack with normal peak flow?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Shannatoo
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Shannatoo

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This may be an odd question but I've had a cold for about 10 days now and my asthma really only flares up with exercise or when I have any kind of cold.

This cold has been particularly bad and I've been waking up in the middle of the night with a tight chest, coughing and wheezy but my peak flow is still right around normal. What is going on? When I wake up in an attack like that, I use my inhaler and within a few minutes I'm feeling better. But I'm wondering how I can feel so terrible but when I take my peak flow, its perfectly normal... Any thoughts?

Shanna
 
I was told that it takes a lot to have your peak flow drop. Also, my normal lung function is well above normal for someone my weight and height. When I'm having an attack, my lung function (peak flow) drops, but the results are still in the normal range for someone my weight and height. My regular, everyday results are 140% above normal. When I'm having a flair up, my reading went down to 96%. I dropped by almost 50%, but if you didn't compare my flair up results to my everyday results, one would think I was perfectly normal.

So, yes. You can have a flair up and still have a "normal" peak flow reading. You are probably well above normal when you're not having attacks.
 
Hi Shanna not sure why your peak flow shows normal but for me when i have a cold I really suffer with my asthma. Like right now I have a cold and went to the doc for medication so I can breath better. For me a bad cold turns into broncititis and a trip to the hosiptal. The doc gave me a breathing machine- I take my rescue inhaler and also gives me a 5 day pack of medrol so my breathing doesnt become labored. Take care and find out what you can do when you are sick talk it over with the doc. Sherry
 
Since my peak flow never varied when I was having a flare up - tossed the thing. Haven't used onefor 10 years. As long as my written plan takes care of the symptoms, what difference does it make?
 
I typically treat my asthma based upon how I am feeling, not based on my peak flow. I've learned to judge when things are getting worse. If I waited to treat when the peak flow really dropped, I think many of my attacks would be much worse.

You know your body. Continue to pay attention to it to know when to treat. Unfortunately, colRAB can really throw asthma out of balance.

Take care,
Mountain Reader.
 
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